


Those Hands

by SpyroForLife



Series: The Truth continuity [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alien Biology, Biting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fingering, First Time, Hand Jobs, Kissing, M/M, One Shot, Robotic limbs, Scratching, Size Difference, Vibrators, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 18:57:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: Zim's curious to know what all Membrane's robotic hands can do. Membrane is more than happy to show him.





	Those Hands

**Author's Note:**

> The smutty continuation from The Truth! You don't have to have read that one first but if you do it'll give you a good idea what led up to Zim working with Membrane. Anyway, enjoy!

Now that he no longer had to hide his identity, Zim had no problem telling Membrane anything he wanted to know about aliens and space-traveling technology. He was even offered a job at Membrane Labs and promised his own office, an offer that he gladly accepted. If his Tallest wouldn't respect him, he would earn the respect of the humans and do amazing things for their planet instead.

He felt right at home in the lab, able to challenge himself with different projects and offer his expertise on a wide variety of subjects. He stopped going to school, as the humans were quite aware he was an adult alien now. But he did somewhat miss the learning, so Membrane spent much of their free time teaching Zim about Earth. From the planet's geological features and history, to the many lifeforms that existed across it, to the humans themselves and their cultures, biology, and history. He was a way better teacher than Ms. Bitters ever was and thanks to him, Zim was actually starting to like the planet.

During one such chat, Zim found his thoughts wandering away from the discussion of a world war to Membrane's arms. In the privacy of Zim's office, Membrane had rolled his sleeves up a bit, and Zim's eyes kept getting drawn to the glint of metal underneath. Finally he said, “Can I change the topic a bit?”

“Sure. You seem distracted anyway.”

“Sorry, but I was just wondering.” Zim gestured at one of his arms. “Your eh, robotic limbs. How do they feel? I mean, when you touch things, do they sense it?”

“Ah.” Membrane slid his gloves off to reveal the entire arms, and gestured for Zim's hand. Zim allowed him to take it, and watched closely as Membrane's fingers slid over it. The metal felt strange, smooth and quite warm to the touch, but with none of that give a flesh hand would have. “Yes, I can feel whatever I touch with these. With the work I do here, I need my tactile senses to remain intact. There's a network of sensors within the metal that correspond to human nerve points, and it all communicates to the nerves in my shoulders which carry on the signal to my brain as normal. It was incredibly tricky to design but in doing so I was able to perfect this technology and now my designs are available to the public, so any amputee can get back the sensation and range of motion they once had. Though, as you might realize, the energy cannons are specific to me. Can't have everyone running around with that kind of weapon.”

Zim laughed. “Definitely not. So, are your arms the only robotic part of you?”

“For now. I've considered further augmenting myself but I see no need to hack off perfectly functioning parts.” Membrane patted his side. “However, I did go ahead and take out my own appendix. Organ's nothing more than a ticking time bomb.”

“Wait, you humans just have useless organs in there?” Zim asked.

“Well, I wouldn't say it's completely useless, but we don't need it for survival and if it bursts, which happens to many people for almost no reason, it will almost certainly kill them. The treatment for appendicitis is to just have the entire organ removed, we can live just fine without it. So I took mine out before it could cause problems.”

“Whoa. That's crazy.” Zim looked Membrane over curiously. “Are there other organs like that?”

“Hm... the tonsils in the throat have a chance of becoming infected or inflamed which could warrant their removal,” Membrane said, gesturing to his throat. Then he gestured down his abdomen. “The spleen is responsible for storing and recycling red blood cells, as well as storing white blood cells and platelets, but if it gets damaged it can be taken out and the liver can handle its function. I didn't see a need to remove that. Hm, one can technically do without a gallbladder... And at the base of the spine we have a tailbone leftover from early on in our evolution when we had tails. That typically doesn't get removed though, it's just there. I'd say that's really about it though for parts we can live without. The rest is necessary. Though some systems are redundant, like a human can survive with only one of the two kidneys, or one lung. But it's better to have both.”

Zim nodded. “I see. Fascinating!” He looked back at Membrane's hand, turning it palm up and examining it more closely. “Do you ever miss your old arms?”

“Of course I do, but nothing can be done about it now. I don't like to dwell on the past. It happened.”

“Right. Well, these are really amazing. Do they have any more special features?”

“Certainly. The fingers are filled with different tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, even a drill, but I usually prefer to use handheld tools just for the familiarity. My palms can function as defibrillators. They can detect the electrical rhythm of a human's heart and deliver a charge exactly when needed to set the rhythm right. You proved you were an alien to me that day at the exact moment you pulled my hand to your heart. I knew it wasn't human. That there was no way you were faking that. You slicing your palm open was just an added bit of proof. Which was very unnecessary and dangerous, by the way.”

Zim shrugged. “I've had worse. But wow, that's cool that your hands can do that.”

“Indeed. It's really been useful around the lab. There are a lot of accidents and I'm able to provide immediate life-saving medical care.” Membrane gave his fingers a few wiggles. “I can also quickly reheat tea and coffee!”

Zim laughed. “That's useful.”

“Plus, well...” Membrane lowered his voice, “Let's just say there are a few features that would greatly please a partner in bed.”

For a few moments, Zim just stared without comprehension. Then it dawned on him and he blushed furiously. “O-oh? Well, that's uh... good to know.” He was definitely going to think about that later. “Example?”

“Each finger is capable of sustained vibration in a number of intensities, for one. They can also extend.” Membrane took in Zim's blush and the way he was looking at his hands in a whole new light, and smiled, lifting his chin. “Interested in experiencing them?”

Zim scrambled back, heart doing several flips. “S-sir, are you really... you'd actually... uh, how do humans say this...”

“Sleep with you?” Membrane asked.

Zim gulped, antennae going straight up. His face felt like it was burning up. “Yeah. I was going to say mate, but yes.”

“I've certainly grown quite fond of you in the time you've worked here, especially with how you treat me as an equal and don't worship me like so many others seem to. We're two brilliant minds and I see you as a dear friend. So, if you'd like me to show you what these hands can really do, I'd be happy to.”

Zim was usually pretty confident, but the way the other was gazing at him was bringing out a bashfulness he never knew he had. He stuttered a few times attempting to reply, before finally managing to say, “I'm sorry, I've just... I've never been propositioned like this before and never done uh... _that_ because we were told not to so I don't even... I don't even know how it would feel or how any of that works...”

Membrane gently cupped his cheek, and he closed his mouth with a squeak. He hadn't known a robotic hand could feel so comforting. The other slid his collar down and smiled. “It's okay. We can learn about your body together.”

Zim hesitated, but he was naturally very curious and he knew the other wouldn't hurt him. Plus he was on Earth permanently now, he didn't have to follow his planet's stupid rules anymore. So he gathered his confidence back up and leaned his head into Membrane's touch, smiling back at him. “Okay. How should we start?”

“Well, I don't think we should do it here. There are other rooms nearby, other people, we don't want to disturb them. It would be best to use a bedroom, but...” Membrane sighed. “I have to deal with that clone of yours sticking around. He's not awful, I've grown used to him, but there's no way he'll give us privacy at my house.”

“Ah, right. We could go to my home, then. My species doesn't really need sleep but I do have a bedroom in case I need to recover from an especially grave injury, so... the bed ought to be in pristine condition!”

“Haha, very well. We can go now if you like, I don't have anything else I need to do here today.”

Zim nodded. “Yes, let's go.”

Zim was nervous the entire way to his base. Eager, but nervous. He really didn't know what to expect, he hasn't even explored himself. It just never crossed his mind, wasn't something he had a desire for, but now that he was thinking about Membrane like _that_, his body was starting to feel strangely warm. It was a light, somewhat tingly sensation. It was new but not unpleasant.

Zim passed GIR in the living room and told him to stay upstairs and keep watching TV, something GIR was glad to do. Then he took Membrane over to an elevator large enough for both of them and asked Computer to take them down to the living quarters.

Immediately figuring out what was going on, Computer groaned. “Ew.” It began lowering the elevator for them.

“I don't need your judgment!” Zim shouted.

“Oh I'm going to judge,” Computer replied. “Excuse me while I shut off the cameras in that section of the base.”

Zim rolled his eyes, and Membrane said, “Your house's AI has a lot more personality than I expected.”

“Yeah, it's gotten a bit of an attitude. But that's fine, it makes things interesting. It still does its job, for the most part.” Zim fidgeted a bit, but stilled when the other took his hand, winding their fingers together. Membrane had put his gloves back on earlier, but there was still an obvious firmness to his hand. It felt nice though. Comforting.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Membrane asked quietly. “I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with.”

“I'm fine,” Zim assured him. “Just a little nervous, like I said I've never done this.”

“Yes, first times are always nervewracking.”

“So um, I take it you've done this before?”

“Yes but it's been a long time. I've been too focused on my job to bother with romantic pursuits and it's been ages since I've met someone I cared about enough to invite them to bed even as a friend with benefits. But since you've been such a good friend, well...” Membrane slipped his hand out of Zim's, running it along his back. “I want to show you what I can do.” He found a spot in the small of Zim's back that made him shudder slightly, and smirked, slowly rubbing there. “I'm definitely looking forward to getting to examine an alien in such _intimate_ detail.”

The way his voice lowered and rasped slightly made Zim inhale, heat flaring in his gut. He gave the other a sly look. “And I'll enjoy getting a more hands on lesson on human biology.”

Membrane chuckled at that, slipping his collar down and taking his goggles off, safely placing them in a pocket. “There's that confidence. I want you to have fun with this. I like making my partners feel good but I also like being able to joke around with them. So if at any point you're not feeling good about things, just tell me to stop and I will. Alright?”

Zim nodded. “Of course.” It was hard to tear his gaze away from the man's intelligent eyes. They were so focused and full of life, not to mention his irises were a warm sort of chocolate brown that Zim found very appealing. The elevator stopped and he forced himself to look away, stepping off it. “This way.”

It was a short walk to the bedroom, Zim tossing his lab coat onto the desk before facing Membrane. “Well, here we are.”

Membrane unbuttoned his coat and slid it off, draping it over the chair. “The bed looks nice.”

“Oh it is. Vortian made. Their main specialty is couches but they're great at other types of furniture as well.”

“I see. Can't wait to use it.” Membrane took his gloves off and set them down, then began working on his shirt. Zim watched his metal fingers delicately undo each button of the collared shirt, entranced by how smooth their movement was. It was all he could really focus on until Membrane said, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Zim shook his head and snapped out of it, looking up at his face. Then he blushed and said, “Er, yes. Just uh, can't get over how cool your arms are. Heh.” He decided to save face by pulling his shirt off over his head, turning away as he did.

He wasn't usually shy about his body, but he found that he was today, undressing down to his pants before stopping. He was doing this. He was actually going to get intimate with a human. He bit his lip and looked back at Membrane, who was sitting on the edge of the bed as he took his boots and pants off. His eyes widened as he saw how muscular the other's chest was, how the wires from those robotic arms fed into his skin at the shoulders, damn he was attractive.

Zim blinked. He wasn't sure he's ever found someone attractive before. Obviously he's appreciated taller irkens for their appearances, but this felt different. The feeling was more intense, more raw. He didn't just like how Membrane looked, he actually desired him, wanted to get close and put his hands all over him, feel him and be felt by him in return. This sudden realization of his own sexuality had him shaking, it was so unfamiliar and almost frightening and he didn't know how to proceed.

“Zim?” Membrane asked, concerned.

“I'm fine,” Zim said automatically.

“Are you sure? You're shaking.”

“I just... this is all so new, I don't... I'm not sure what to do.” Zim immediately felt embarrassed at his own honesty. Membrane will surely find that pathetic.

Except that he just smiled at him and got up, coming over to wrap him into a hug. “It's okay. I'll show you.”

Zim was frozen for a few seconds, surprised at just how nice the other's skin felt against his. He slowly lifted his arms and hugged back. As he did, he realized just how bare the other was. He was wearing only an undergarment and no more, and Zim's hands slid up his toned back. No wonder he was able to fight like that before... his body was amazing.

“Relax,” Membrane said softly, and Zim's antennae trembled at the feel of his breath wafting across them. “Everyone's new to this at some point. You'll do great.”

That settled him. Zim relaxed and leaned back, meeting Membrane's eyes. “Right. Sorry, just trying to get used to this.”

“I know. But you're doing good.” Membrane returned to the bed. “You don't have to fully undress yet if you don't want to.”

“No, I'm fine,” Zim said, finally taking his pants off. The air in the room felt almost too cold as he walked naked over to the bed, but the moment Membrane's eyes gave him a good once over, his entire body flushed and he no longer felt the cold at all. He saw the other's pupils dilate slightly, and Membrane's legs rested apart, allowing Zim to step right in between them. Zim rested his hands on the other's thighs. “So, now what?”

Membrane exhaled softly, running a finger gently along one of Zim's antennae. “That's up to you. Are you comfortable with me touching you here?”

“Mhm.” That felt really nice, actually. Zim's eyes drifted shut at the pleasure that ran down to the base of the stalk, and he slipped closer, running his hands to Membrane's waist. The other kept feeling up and down his antenna, then began rubbing circles around the base of it, a sensation so good that Zim started purring. Membrane's other hand slid under his rear, lifting him up onto the bed. Zim hardly noticed he was being moved until he suddenly found himself in the other's lap, legs straddling his hips and something very firm pressing against his backside. He opened his eyes, giving the other a curious look. “Huh?”

Membrane was blushing now, and he moved his hands away. “Ah, sorry, am I going too fast?”

“Not at all, just...” Zim shifted a bit on the other's lap, and heard him groan softly. Zim lifted a leg and looked down, then realized and looked back up. “Oh! That means you're aroused, right?”

Membrane let out a laugh at that, nodding. “Yes, that's what that means. Very acute observation. Do you mind if I take my underwear off?”

“Go for it,” Zim replied, intensely curious to see how he looked under it. He had an idea from his studies of human biology, but he's never seen this part of one in person. Membrane moved him to sit next to him, and reached down to his waistband, sliding his underwear off and dropping it to the floor.

Zim stared at the organ that rose up, thick and flushed toward its tip, and easily the length of his forearm. He swallowed, looking up. “Well. It's very nice.”

“Haha, thank you.”

Zim lifted a hand, hovering it near the other, but hesitating. “Can I...”

“You can touch, yes.” Membrane turned toward him, and Zim carefully touched him. The skin was soft and warm, but the organ was firmer than he expected. He drifted his fingers to the tip and the other shivered. Zim glanced up and saw Membrane was breathing a little deeper, but he seemed to be enjoying this.

“This feels good, yes?” Zim asked to make sure, curiously feeling over the tip and going back down.

Membrane nodded. “Yes. Here, let me show you what I like.” He took Zim's hand, guiding it to his base and having him wrap his fingers around him. “Now just move your hand up and down... just like that.”

“Ooh, okay.” Zim quickly figured it out, slowly pumping him and enjoying how he moaned with pleasure, head tilting back. Zim's antennae twitched as they picked up the scent of pheromones, telling him how into this the other was. He liked being able to make the other feel good, and began wondering how this felt. He reached for Membrane's hand and brought it over, pressing it between his legs.

Membrane sighed, voice sounding strained as he said, “I take it you want me to return the favor?”

“Yes, please.”

Membrane sat forward, rubbing his fingers in slow circles between Zim's legs. Zim tried to keep stroking him in return, but the feeling was so new and good that he ended up losing his rhythm and stopping, just closing his eyes and moaning.

Membrane didn't seem to mind him stopping, and he actually reached down to Zim's hand, instead holding it while he gently felt him with the other. “Is this okay? Do I feel warm enough? The electronics keep the metal pretty warm, but...”

“It feels great,” Zim murmured, grinding slightly against the other.

“Mm, well in that case...” Membrane lifted him and crawled further onto the bed, laying him down underneath him and pressing his palms to his thighs to spread them open. “Let me show you what I can really do.”

A bolt of excitement went down Zim's spine at the sudden dominance, and he grinned, his mild anxiety shoved aside by arousal. This all felt so good and he had no reason to be nervous. Membrane was going to take good care of him.

Membrane pressed a couple fingers against his sheath, which easily spread open for him. Zim moaned and closed his eyes, insides seeming to stir. Those smooth fingers slid in, the gentle glide making him sigh out, legs resting a little further apart. They rubbed in and out, while Membrane's thumb circled the sensitive outer lips of his entrance.

“Let me see you,” Membrane said in a low voice. He wasn't demanding, but the request was so confident that Zim unthinkingly obeyed, letting his length slide out of the sheath. He heard Membrane make a strange noise, and he looked down, tilting his head.

“Hm?” Zim intoned, wondering why he was staring at him like that.

Membrane shook his head and looked up, smiling. “Sorry, I just didn't expect it to look like that. But I suppose when you said you have a penis-like organ I shouldn't have expected it to look like mine.”

“Ah.” Zim laughed giddily. “Yeah, we're quite differently shaped from humans.”

“I see that. But it's no problem. You look amazing.” Membrane felt along the segmented appendage, following it from its thick base to the thin, tentacle-like tip. Slick fluid ran down from its slit and it flexed in his grip, winding between his fingers as if it had a mind of its own. He decided now would be a good time to show off to Zim. Cradling his cock in one hand and moving the other below to slip a couple fingers inside him, he activated the vibration.

Zim arched, crying out with surprise and grabbing onto the covers for support. Membrane's eyes lit up at how vocal he was, and he ever so slightly thrust his fingers in and out, letting him feel the vibration deep inside. The other writhed on the covers, moaning loudly and rocking his hips against him. Sweat rolled down Membrane's skin as he watched him, loving how eagerly he responded to him, and his erection gave a painful throb. He ignored it for the moment though, more interested in making the other feel good. He began jerking him off, and Zim squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering uncontrollably at how incredible the thrumming felt against his skin, making ecstasy sweep through him. It was overpowering, like nothing else he's ever felt, and his claws went to Membrane's arms, needing something sturdier to hold onto.

“A-ah, P-Professor...” he groaned, head tilting back and antennae quivering. “So good, more...”

Membrane kept going, finding that the other had grown very wet, and he was able to fit three fingers inside him now. He kept his eyes on his face, memorizing the shameless pleasure on it, admiring how he looked with flushed pink cheeks and oh... how he was showing him his throat. It looked so tempting, and it would be so easy to just lean down and kiss it... he was more interested in Zim than he had thought. He had planned to just show him what his robotic hands were capable of, get him off and take care of himself, but... he was finding Zim more and more attractive by the minute. This was someone he wouldn't mind having in his bed again and again.

He took a steadying breath, telling himself he could come to terms with those feelings later. Right now he just needed to go with the flow. He shifted his position and leaned down, brushing his lips against Zim's throat.

“Nngh, that's it...” Zim shakily wrapped his arms around Membrane's neck, holding him there. “Touch me...”

Membrane had his fingers in him to the knuckles now, firmly pressing in and out, while his other hand glided along his length, and he could tell he was getting close. He grazed his teeth against the other and heard him moan, and decided to take a small risk. Zim had once told him that irken courting used to involve biting... maybe he would be into this. Membrane bit into his throat.

“Ah!” Zim jerked, the spark of pain mixing so perfectly with the pleasure that it pushed him completely over his edge. His thoughts blanked out as ecstasy consumed him, lower body spasming against the other. Membrane removed his teeth and stared at his face in wonder, feeling his body squeezing around his fingers and his cock going rigid, spraying his stomach with cum before falling limp in his grip.

“Fuck,” Membrane whispered, letting go of him and sitting back on his knees.

Zim panted, slowly managing to open his eyes and look at him. “That... that was amazing,” he said hoarsely.

“Y-yes.” Membrane looked at the cum glistening on his hand. It was a sort of clear pink color, and he gave it a small lick. It was much sweeter than he expected, and he stared, then decided to just wipe it off on his side. He leaned over Zim. “Feeling good?”

“Oh yeah.” Zim's voice slurred a bit. “I had no idea it would feel like that. Especially at the end there, that was... whew.” He pushed himself up on an elbow, rubbing his neck. “Now I see why you humans are so obsessed with this.”

“Yes, it's quite enjoyable. I'm glad you had fun.”

“Well, it's not over, is it?” Zim was a little shaky, but alert, his eyes bright and a gleeful smile on his face. “You still need to take care of yourself, after all.” He reached between Membrane's legs, cradling his erection and giving it a few pumps. Membrane moaned, gripping Zim's shoulders and taking a moment to compose himself. It's been a long time since he's been so turned on. Then he met Zim's eyes.

“I would like to keep going,” Membrane admitted. “As long as you want to.”

“Absolutely. I want more. You feel so good.”

Membrane touched Zim's sides, feeling up and down them before sliding his palms along his thighs. “In that case... I want to go all the way with you.”

“All the way?”

“Remember when I had my fingers inside you? Like that, only... with this.” Membrane gave his hips a small wiggle.

Zim nodded in understanding. “Oh! Right, that makes sense. Yes, we can do that! Although, um...” He looked at his abdomen, at Membrane's length, and back at himself. “I'm not sure you'll er... fit.”

“Not to worry...” Membrane cupped his chin and leaned in to murmur against his lips, “You're so wet right now I can definitely get the head in.”

Zim blushed hard, self-consciously squeezing his thighs shut for a moment. He wasn't sure how to respond to that kind of talk, but he said the first thing that came to mind. “Then let's do it. I want you inside me.”

He saw lust darken the other's face and knew he had spoken well. The man enthusiastically pounced on him, pushing his back onto the bed and pulling his legs around his waist. Zim purred as he admired the other, thinking about how hot he looked taking control like this. Then he felt hot skin rub between his legs, and closed his eyes, relaxing as he waited.

The impact of Membrane taking him sent an almost harsh jolt of pain and pleasure up his back. He grunted at the sudden force, back lifting and teeth gritting as he tried to adjust to suddenly being so full.

Membrane immediately paused. “Are you alright?”

“Mm?” Zim opened his eyes, and blinked a few times when they stung. He realized there were tears in them. “I think so? It feels... odd.” He shifted. “How uh, far did you go?”

“That was just the tip.”

“Really? O-oh.” Zim swallowed. “It just... it already feels like there's so much of you in me.”

“That's to be expected, you're quite a lot smaller than me. But I'm going to be gentle, alright? I won't give you any more than you can handle. Let me know if this hurts.” Membrane rocked his hips.

Zim groaned at the friction of the other rubbing back and forth inside him. It felt so much better than his fingers had, the raw sensation of skin on skin unlocking a more primal side of him. He squeezed Membrane's waist with his legs and lifted his hips up a bit, riding him more strongly. It was a struggle to take him, the stretch was fairly uncomfortable, but inch by inch Membrane was managing to thrust in deeper. Until he reached a point where he simply couldn't go any further, at which point he paused again, bending over to give Zim's face a gentle nuzzle.

Zim smiled at the gesture, nuzzling back and running his antennae against Membrane's face and up against his hair. He could already feel himself drawing close to climax again, and as Membrane settled into a steady rhythm, he knew he was close too. Zim moved with him, moaning loudly and keeping his eyes shut, thinking of nothing else but how amazing this felt. Once he got used to it, the pain subsided and there was only a deep pleasure that seemed to hit all the right spots. He should have done this ages ago, he's been missing out on so much.

Pressure built in his groin and he ended up moving his hands from the bed to Membrane's back, claws digging in firmly. He didn't think too much about it, just trying to ground himself, but the other seemed to like it, as he thrust a little harder. His strong movements were easily tearing whimpers from Zim's throat, and it was only a few more seconds before his overstimulated body was pushed right over the edge. He called out Membrane's name as he came, bucking against him and accidentally dragging his claws down hard enough to leave cuts. He expected a complaint, but instead he just got a throaty moan of bliss and then Membrane's lips were pressing to his, the other's body shaking slightly before he finished inside him.

The sudden sensation of wet heat against his insides made Zim jump, but like everything else, it wasn't a bad feeling. He responded to those passionate lips that had pressed to his, not really sure how to do this, but craving the physical touch nonetheless. It seemed like he was barely starting to get his head tilted right before Membrane was leaning back, panting. Zim opened his eyes, breathing deeply himself. His claws loosened and fell from the other, arms limply landing on the bed. His entire body felt heavy. “Wow,” he murmured.

Membrane brushed his hair back, chuckling. “Exactly what I was thinking. You were amazing.”

Zim gave a tired smile at the compliment, but didn't have the energy for much more. “Of course I was.”

Membrane gripped his hip and carefully withdrew from him, glancing down at himself and then back up. “Sorry about, er... the mess.”

“The mess?” Zim forced his head up. It felt like there was a band of weights around his neck, but he fought through the exhaustion to see what Membrane was talking about. Then he realized when he saw the cum flow out of him and onto the blanket. He made a face. “Ick. Gross, but eh don't worry about it.” He climbed out from under the other, laughing as everything suddenly seemed hilarious. “Let's just replace the blanket and I'll have this one washed.” He got out of bed and gripped the blanket, giving it a few tugs. “Could you move for just one second?”

Membrane laughed too and got up. “Alright.”

Zim yanked the blanket off and took it over to a panel in the wall, stumbling a few times. His legs felt like jelly, but he managed to keep his balance. He clicked a few buttons and opened a chute to the laundry bay, tossing the blanket down. He closed the door and a nearby door opened, a different blanket available. He grabbed it and brought it back to the bed, haphazardly throwing it on. “There we go, good as new.” He collapsed onto the bed.

Membrane climbed up next to him, laying down and grasping his hand. “How do you feel?”

“Great,” Zim replied, yawning. He moved closer, just relaxing as his body glowed warmly. “That all was great, and right now... right now I just wanna chill.”

“Didn't you say irkens experience a flood of hormones after mating?”

“Mhm. It's similar to what humans experience, it's just a bunch of chemicals to make us wanna do it again, and to, ya know... bond us to the mate...” Zim's eyes drifted shut. He sidled in even closer, leaning against the other for warmth. “Since in the old days we mated for life and all.”

“Oh, that makes sense then... wait, for life?”

“Yeah, but that was a long time ago, it doesn't really matter now. At least it's not supposed to. Since, ya know, being attached to one certain person is a vulnerability. So they just... told us not to do this.” Zim was quiet for a bit, then he shrugged. “Whatever, I had fun, thank you so much for doing this with me. Your hands are cool, but what I really liked was just doing this with you. You really are the sweetest human here.”

“Aw, I don't know about that.”

“Yeah, you are,” Zim insisted. “Everyone knows how much you care about other people. You want to make everyone's lives better. Even mine, and look at what I did to Earth! You're so kind and forgiving, and I'm glad I work for you, and... I'm glad you're my friend.”

Membrane stared into space for a moment as his chest ached, but he quickly pushed past it and said, “I'm glad to be your friend. After what you've told me about your upbringing, well... you need someone you can truly trust. I'm here for you.”

“I know. Thank you.” Zim ran his antennae slowly against Membrane's face again, taking in his scent while subtly marking him with his own. It was entirely instinctual and he didn't think about what he was doing, it just felt right. “Do you think we could do this again some time?”

“Sure. Whenever you want,” Membrane assured him.

“Mm, that'll be nice...” Zim draped an arm over him, and next thing Membrane knew, the other had dozed off.

“Goodnight,” Membrane told him, pressing a kiss to his forehead and looking up at the ceiling as he reflected. He wasn't sure where their relationship was going to go from here, but as long as they were friends, he knew he would be happy.


End file.
